If Your Chance Came Again
by Yami Neon Crayons
Summary: When something is broken, you fix it. Oscar though that everything was over, that they had failed... After all these centuries... All the lives lost. Salem had won. But with one more deal with the God of Light, can Oscar rewrite his own history and save the world he's not entirely sure deserves his saving. [SLOW BURN]
1. Hope

Hope

/həʊp/

noun

1.

a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

"he looked through her belongings in the hope of coming across some information"

* * *

Oscar stared into the dirt, the world burning around him as he sat there brushing his fingers through Ruby's dark locks, his gaze avoiding the empty gray that had replaced the once dazzling silver of her eyes. She was gone, everyone wasgone… he was the last one standing.

He had watched them fall, one after another. Until it was just him.

Alone.

Shehad taken everyone and everything from him again.

Only this time, there would be no starting again… no 'next life' to take up the mantle and try again.

Salem hadwon.

Soon, she would take the Relics and bring about the end of everything… again.

He failed…Theyfailed.

What do I do!?He asked, reverting back to the small farm boy, begging the wise old wizard for the answers neither one had.

He knew it to be a useless endeavor though, because nowhewas the ancient wizard, meant to have all the answers, yet somehow always coming up short.

Ozpin wasgone, a part of him he could no longer communicate with the same way he could before…

Qrow, Maria, Jaune, Blake Yang…Ruby.

Everyone… They were allgone.

Tears began to fall from his eyes, streaking down his dirt covered face and landing on the ice cold body in his arms.

He was allAlone. The God of Light had promised he would never be alone, but he'd lied.

"I didnotlie to you, Ozma."

Oscar looked up at the voice, deep and commanding, in a way that only a god's voice could be. "You…"

"It has been a long time." The god of light spoke.

"What are you doing here? Have you come to tell me I failed? To punish us for failing to stop her?"

"Your duty was never to stop Salem, Ozma. That was never your burden to carry. Peace for humanity, was the task I charged you with. And you cameso close… on so many occasions. You werealmostthere."

Oscar glared at the primordial being of light standing before him. "So I failed at both, the job given to me by the gods, and the one we gave ourselves."

"Yes, I suppose you did. But, it doesn't have to be that way."

At that, Oscar's eyes widened, confused. "What do you mean, it doesn't have to…"

"It means… that I am willing to give you another chance. But, justone. If you fail again, then my brother and I will have to accept that humanity was a failure, and we will bring this world to its rightful closer. Will you accept? Or have you given up hope that this world can be saved?"

Looking back down to Ruby, laying motionless in his arms, Oscar thought of how she refused to give up, until the very end… through all the pain and loss, she never quit, never backed down… Ruby never lost her hope in a better tomorrow.

Oscarhadlost hope, his only reason to keep going was to keep her safe, to protect her hope for a good and kind world.

He had lost hope, but… if this last chance gave him the opportunity to see her world, to build the Utopia she always dreamed of then he'd do it.

Oscar laughed, he finally understood why Ozma made the decision he did, all those lifetimes ago. He had believed that seeing Salem again was worth any pain, any torture the world could try to throw at him.

"I'll do it." He said, repeating the words he'd said long ago, in another life, When he was a different man… for a different woman. He agreed to do the biddings of a god without asking questions…

This was the last chance- whatever that meant Oscar would take it and save the world, not for himself, or because the God of Light asked him to… not even because agreeing was Humanity's last hope.

But because it's what Ruby would have wanted.

The next conscious thought Oscar had, was waking up on a train.


	2. Plan

plan

/plan/

Learn to pronounce

_noun_

1.

a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.

* * *

when Oscar awoke on the train to Mistrial, several emotions began to hit him all at once.

Panic, fear and dread. Though he quickly realized they were not his own.

Ozpin.

It had been so long since he had felt someone else's emotions, rather than just his own… it was a comfort he didn't realize he'd missed.

"Oz… I've missed you."

{Oscar? What… what happened? Something isn't right, your soul-it's changed!}

Oscar isn't sure of what to say, that he's them from two year in the future? That they failed in their noble quest and the God of Light has sent him back to try again? That… they lost everyone and everything that had ever mattered?

In the end, Oscar knew that Ozpin was inside his head and would be able to see all of this, would come to know of Oscar's failures in time, so he decided to just bite the bullet and explain everything. From the beginning.

"It's a long story, Oz… Long and painful. But it all starts when I met a dusty old Qrow."

By the time he was done with his story, Oscar was in tears, remembering all their losses, their failures and all the betrayals they had suffered in such a short time overtaking him, it was all just too much for his heart to bare.

{Oscar… I'm so sorry… your life hasn't been an easy one, has it?}

"No, but know life worth living is easy, is it?" He asked, "we suffered so much, but… there were good moments too, and though they were far less, that doesn't take away their value."

He felt Ozpin smile, Oscar couldn't get over how good it felt to have the old headmaster back; he spent so long wishing to have his head be his own again, and yet… when he was granted that silence he'd spent so long wishing for, he had wanted to take it all back. He would have given anything to hear the other man's voice again.

And, in a way, he guessed he had… he lost everyone and everything to Salem. But, now he has his Partner back.

{So, what is your plan? How will we stop your future from coming to be once again?} Ozpin asked. Straight to the point, never wasting a moment of time.

"Well, aside from getting some new clothes and collecting our cane? I don't really know, I didn't exactly have the chance to plan this before the God of Light sent me back here."

{Well then, I guess we will need to work something out, preferably before we go find Qrow, he will have questions. It's better that we have our story straight and some semblances of a plan in place before we see anyone.}

Oscar nodded. Ozpin was right, while he wanted nothing more than to see his dearest friend and closest confident again, he knew they needed to plan first.

One thing Oscar was certain of, was that no matter the plan, they had to be completely open and honest with Qrow from the very beginning. It was the least he deserved after everything he had done and would do for them.


	3. Inherited

Inherited

/ɪnˈhɛrɪtɪd/

_adjective_

1\. (of money, property, or a title) received as an heir at the death of the previous holder.

"_inherited wealth_"

2\. (of a quality, characteristic, or predisposition) derived genetically from one's parents or ancestors.

"_inherited diseases_"

* * *

{_I would like it to be known that I don't approve of this method of acquiring funds_}

"You were the one who said I had to find my own way of paying for stuff, this just happens to be the easiest" Oscar said while concentrating on the magic he was currently using to rig the ATM machine into withdrawing the lien he required.

Oscar could feel the other rolling his eyes at the smartass comment as he continued in his endeavors.

After another moment of intense concentration, he heard a _ping!_ Alerting him to his success, a large amount of lien was ejected from the machine.

Once done, he cut his connection to the ATM and collected his 'withdrawal', pocketing the money quickly before he drew any unwanted attention to himself.

"Now, let's go buy some new clothes! _Nobody_ is gonna buy that I'm _any_ kind of Huntsman dressed like this" he said as he began to walk through the shopping district to find a shop selling combat gear.

{_Do you have a particular style in mind? Or perhaps a preferred colour scheme you're going to be looking at?_} Ozpin queried,

Oscar smiled, "Green. Obviously, it's _our colour_ after all… also, Orange Gloves! I wouldn't feel right without them."

Soon, they came upon a shop with a sign advertising that they specialize in custom combat gear for huntsmen and Oscar paused, he'd never personally owned anything customized specifically to him.

His cane… _'The Long Memory'_ was an heirloom, passed from host to host over many centuries, he loved it, and would never trade it for another weapon. but… just like so much else, it was another thing he'd simply inherited.

All of the combat gear in from his previous life had been things he just picked up, things he liked and grabed because they were practical, they weren't personal, even the colors had never really fit him right- aside from his orange gloves, those had been perfect! Everything else just felt a little off… the green could have been more vibrant, the red a little brighter…

And their emblem… he'd never owned _anything_ branded with it.

"If we're going to do this, then we should do it together, you weren't really around the first time I picked out my gear, and we'd completed the merger by the time I needed to get new stuff after that… so, this time let's find something that shows the world who we are. Together."

{The suit _doesn't make the man Oscar, _the man _makes the suit. So long as we carry ourselves with strength and dignity, we could continue to wear your farm clothes and still command respect. But… since we're here, I do like the sound of a new green coat_.}

Laughing, Oscar opened the door and headed inside the shop, "alright, but _no velvet_! I honestly don't understand how you could fight in that old suit of yours."

As they made their way through the shop, quietly bickering and discussing ideas for their new outfit, Oscar felt a sense of peace come over him, similar to what he'd felt that first moment he had felt Ozpin's emotions melting together with his own… he wasn't alone any longer, he had his partner back.

Any together, they could do anything.


	4. Risk

risk

/rɪsk/

noun

1\. a situation involving exposure to danger.

"flouting the law was too much of a risk"

verb

2\. expose (someone or something valued) to danger, harm, or loss.

"he risked his life to save his dog"

* * *

After the longest shopping trip of Oscar's life, he and Ozpin were finally done, together they had come up with an outfit that made them both happy and acquired new combat gear.

The store clerk told them that their customizations would be done by the next day, and to return then to pick up all of their purchases.

After that, they had gone searching for an inn they could stay at while they planned for their meeting with Qrow and Team RNJR.

Now, Oscar sat at the small table on his room, pen and paper in hand and writing out all of the key events that he could recall from the last two years. From the confrontation with RW_Y JN_R about the relics and the Maiden's to the battle of Haven. The trip to Argus and everything that followed Jinn's revelation. The downfall of Atlas… and the last stand at Shade.

He wrote it _all_ down.

He recalled _every_ loss and _every_ victory, each life lost and all enemies they defeated.

Everything, in as much detail as he could remember. Although he knew all of this could very quickly become useless to him, '_Knowledge prompts change, and change negates knowledge_' he knew what was to come, and when he intervened, things would change and all he knows will no longer be of use, just more memories to haunt his nights and cause him pain without offering the comfort of knowing he can interfere and save those he cares for.

Oscar knew he had to pick the right moments to act on, and the ones he would have to let come to pass just as they did his first time around.

To manylives rested in the balance, if he made the wrong move or acted in the wrong way, so much could be lost and his journey back would all be in vain.

"I know that I have to stop the battle at Haven, Cinder and Raven can not enter the Vault of Spring. Jinn can not be freed" of that, Oscar was certain.

Jinn's knowledge had brought _nothing_ but pain and despair, stolen their already frail hope once, Oscar _refuses_ to allow her to be released again.

{_If your primary goal is to stop Miss Branwen from opening the vault, then perhaps focusing on how we can deal with her should be our top priority_.} Ozpin began, his tone level, but Oscar could feel anger beneath the calm he was attempting to put forth. For Raven to have become the Spring Maiden, she would have had to take the power at least seventeen years ago.

Ozpin remembered the last Maiden, she was young and small, afraid. Losing her mother and gaining immeasurable powers all at once, it had all been too much for the young girl at the time… she ran, unable to stand the weight of her new responsibilities.

And for Raven to now possess that power… she must have either gained the girls trust in a way nobody else could; or… she did something unforgivable. {_If your timeline is correct, then we have almost two months to find a way to stop her from joining Salem's forces_.}

"Raven is _definitely_ our first priority. She needs to be stopped, by whatever means necessary." Oscar agreed, he didn't hate Raven, he didn't really have any strong feelings about her at all past the lingering betrayal Ozpin felt after she had abandoned their cause… after everything he gave her.

But Oscar himself, he felt _nothing_. If she had to be sacrificed to save the people he cared for, then she would be an acceptable casualty.

{_There is no such thing as '_acceptable casualties'_ Oscar, Miss Branwen has done terrible things, and betrayed many who put their faith in her, but that does not mean we can just write her off an an acceptable loss._} Ozpin countered.

Oscar smiled sadly and looked down at his notes, "that's the one thing I never inherited from you after the merger, your innate ability to forgive those who wronged you, and to always see the good in people… even those that don't deserve it."

{_It's what kept me feeling human, the ability to forgive is an important one. I hope that I can help you learn it, this time around…_}

"I hope so too"


	5. Guilt

guilt

/ɡɪlt/

_noun_

1\. the fact of having committed a specified or implied offence or crime.

_"it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the prisoner's guilt"_

* * *

Over the past year, Oscar had come to _dread_ sleep… every night when he closed his eyes and attempted to rest, his mind would be plagued with nightmare scenes of pain and violence, some memories of the people he watched die, others… terrible visions of himself failing the people he was sworn to protect.

He woke up screaming for Ruby, Salem's cruel laugh echoing in his ears and phantom blood covering his hands as the dream faded and reality returned.

{_Oscar… are you alright?_} Ozpin asked, his voice soft and soothing.

Oscar shook his head, "not really… but then again, I haven't been okay for a long time."

Second hand guilt began to fill Oscar's stomach, {_I'm sorry…_}

"No, don't be. Your _not_ to blame for my nightmares, or anything else that's bothering me right now. So don't apologize for things that aren't your fault."

The guilty feeling filling him began to subside, but only slightly. {_I may not be directly at fault, but I can't help but still feel somewhat responsible, if not for me; you'd have never been dragged into this mess in the first place._}

Rolling his eyes, Oscar offered a sad smile. "Maybe not, but I'm here and there is nothing either of us can do about it. So you should stop worrying about things we can't change. Or you'll end up giving me gray hairs before I'm sixteen."

{_And what a tragedy that would be_.} And with that, a light hearted humor began to fill him, steadily replacing the misplaced guilt.

"Well, I won't be going back to sleep after _that_, should we start planning out what we're going to do when it comes to Qrow and the others?" Oscar asked as he pushed aside the sheet tangled around him and began to get out of bed.

{_Yes, I suppose that would be a more productive way to spend the rest of the night if you can't sleep_.}

Once up, Oscar collected his notes from the previous day and pulled the ones pertaining to the events that took place right after he arrived in Mistral the first time.

"So! First, we have to figure out how we're going to explain everything to Qrow, I can lie and mislead everyone else when it comes to my origins and our connection, but not Qrow. I owe him the truth… after _everything_ he did for me and will continue to do for _us_… we owe him the truth."

{_Your right. I just fear how he will react, Qrow isn't exactly known for dealing with bad or upsetting information very well…_}

Oscar was very aware of how Qrow was prone to reacting to unsavory information, he had witnessed first hand the mans downward spiral into depression after Jinn's revelation about Salem. "I know the risk, but we owe it to him to try, and he'll be hearing everything from _us_ this time. We can make him see reason. He'll understand" at least, Oscar hoped he would.

"We also have to figure out what our story for the others will be, how do we want to introduce me to everyone?"

{_if you're certain that we should keep my existence a secret from everyone, I'd say perhaps we try to pass you off as my son, but that could open us up to all kinds of uncomfortable situations._}

"I am." Oscar said adamantly, tapping his chin and bouncing his pen in thought. "And, while your son might be a bit difficult. What about your nephew?"

* * *

_A/N: sorry, I don't usually leave notes when posting here, but I just need to say that while I love and appreciate everyone who reviews/comments on this fic, after some very poor and hurtful interactions along with certain '_suggestions_' made to me when I was writing for the Naruto fandom, **I do not accept con-crit of any kind. **_

_I don't mean to sound rude or unappreciative, but my history with criticisms of my writing style on this site have left me incapable of accepting it without getting upset and angry..._

_But thank you very much to everyone that has left a review on this fic, I love seeing the notifications pop up in my Emails and I enjoy reading them! _


	6. Sweet

* * *

The suit was perfect.

From the knee length emerald coloured coat with his emblem on the back and forest green cape to the pair of orange belts, attached to his hip by a gear shaped pendant.

Though he was most fond of the red boots, with their black belts and lifted heel- granting him back the precious few inches he lost coming back.

All of this was paired with a simple pair of black pants, though he added a set of orange belts to the left leg, perfect for securing the new dagger he'd acquired into place.

Everything fit like a dream, comfort and easy to move in. He had never owned anything like it before, and while he had come to love his old combat gear, there was something about the outfit he an Ozpin had put together that just felt right.

After graciously thanking the clerk at the shop for their hard work, Oscar was off. He had an information broker to talk to before he went to seek out Qrow from whatever bar he was drowning his sorrows in.

{_Little Miss Malachite and her Spiders can find anyone, anywhere. She is not the kind of woman you want to get on the wrong side of._}

"Yeah, I know. But we _need_ her help. And so long as we pay her well, I doubt she'll have any reason to send her Spiders after us.

Ozpin didn't have anything to say to that. So they spent the rest of their trip into the seedier parts of Mistral.

Eventually they found the place they'd been searching for and headed in.

The establishment was filled with all sorts of people, all bearing the same spider web tattoo; at the very back, sat the woman they had come to see.

"Miss Malachite, would I happen to be able to talk to you for a few minutes? I have someone I need to find, and I hear you are the woman to go to when you need to locate somebody that doesn't want to be found" Oscar spoke, projecting all of the confidence he had into his small fourteen year old form, hoping she would take him seriously.

"Are you sure you can you _afford_ my services, dear?" She asked from behind her fluffy feathered fan. When Oscar nodded she motioned for him to sit in the chair in front of her.

Miss Malachite looked him over for a moment, he wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for, but when she nodded and folded up her fan, he assumed she found it.

"Now, how can I be of service to you, young man?"

Oscar smirked and placed all of the remaining lien he had left on the table in front of her, "I would like you to locate The Bandit Queen: Raven Branwen for me."

Miss Malachite was stared at him blankly for a moment before turning her eyes to the pile of lien laid out before her. "Why would a sweet boy like you be lookin' t' find a woman like that?"

"Looks can be deceiving, I might _look_ like a child. But I'm _far_ from sweet. Can you help me find her or not?" Oscar asked, his eyes hard and tone cold.

"But of course, child. Little Miss Malachite _never_ turns away a payen customer." She replied, picking up her fan and opening it. "I can find you your Bandit Queen, it'll take my Spiders some time, but we can certainly do it."

"Good. You have five weeks. That is the first half of your payment. When you find her, I'll have another stack of lien just like that one for you. Extra if your spiders find anything interesting while looking into her."

"That sounds fair agreement, how can I contact you once I find your lady?"

"You don't. I'll be back in five weeks." With that, Oscar got up and gave Malachite a polite nod before leaving the bar.

while she searched for Raven, they had a dusty old crow to find.


	7. Story

story

/_ˈstɔːri_/

noun

1.an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment.

"an adventure story"

2\. an account of past events in someone's life or in the development of something.

"the story of modern farming"

* * *

When Oscar finally laid eyes upon Qrow for the first time in over a year, his body filled with warmth and joy, some his and some Ozpin's.

Even with his back turned, hunched over the bar, Oscar still got that familiar sense of safety that he always felt in the older Huntsmen's presence.

Taking a deep breath, he headed over to reintroduce himself to his loyal companion.

Once he was standing just behind him, he cleared his throat to grab Qrow's attention.

Qrow turned to look at him, "I don't think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak.

Oscar smiled up at him, feeling a sense of deja vu at Qrow's words, the exact same ones he said the first time they met.

"I'm supposed to tell you, I'd like my cane back." This time, the line was delivered with far more confidence then the first time he'd uttered them.

Once the magic words were said, Qrow smiled and nodded to himself before standing and pulling the ornate cane from his hip and tossing it to him.

Oscar caught it and immediately, the cane extended to its full length ['hello again old friend'] he and Ozpin said in unison.

"Good to see you again, Oz"

"And you, Qrow."

{_May I take over from here for a moment, I'd like to talk to Qrow myself for a bit before you tell him your story._} Ozpin asked, Oscar nodded and relinquished control to the other.

\--

"So, New kid. How's he taking everything? Acted pretty confident, doesn't seem to be taking the whole 'chosen by destiny' thing the way I'd expect a kid to"

"Oscar is an _interesting_ young man, with many unique secrets of his own. But I'll let him explain those to you later, first I must inquire into everyone's wellbeing."

Qrow took a long sip of his drink before starting into the amber liquid, his eyes were far away… as if he was lost in a memory. "You and the Nikos girl were the only major casualties, Cinder did you both in. Couple of kids from Atlas were taken out by the White Fang, bunch of civilians were killed by Grimm, but most were able to escape,"

"James packed up his men and his students and left soon as all the major threats were cleared out, same with the Mistral and Vacuo kids. They were all on the first transport out of Vale."

"Beacon was destroyed, Vale took a pretty big hit too, but Glynda and many other Huntsmen are doing what they can to fix what they can, hopefully get the civilian parts of town back in working order."

Qrow seemed to have finished his recount of the fall, but something about his expression told Ozpin that he wasn't done, that he had more to say… and while he had gained the knowledge about everything that had happened between his death and them reuniting with everyone, he felt that Qrow needed tell him regardless.

Moving to take the alcoholic beverage from Qrow's hand, "what else? I know that look Qrow, something else happened that your not telling me." He asked.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Qrow began to shake his head as if to rid himself of a painful memory. "it's Ruby and Yang… Ruby saw Cinder kill Pyrrha Nikos. She awoke her Silver Eyes, took Cinder down a few pegs I reckon, but still, what she saw up there…"

"And Yang… that bastard from the White Fang- Adam Taurus cut off her arm! He butchered her!" In a fit of rage, Qrow slammed his fist down on the table they were situated at, causing everything on top to rattle.

"I swear Oz, if I _ever_ get my hands on either of them… I'm gonna kill them. They hurt my girls, and I'm gonna make them _pay for it_!"

It was Ozpin's turn to look away, guilt filling him as he thought of how much everyone had suffered because of his failure to protect them.

[_It's not your fault, you did everything you could to protect and prepare them, Salem's forces just happened to be better prepared. Next time, we'll be ready when they come._]

{_Thank you Oscar, but this once, I have to disagree with you, there is so much more I could have done to prepare them… but I didn't, I failed… and they suffered for it_}

[_Fine. You failed. So did I, that's why I'm here, that's why both of us are here, but you know what; we _won't_ fail again!_]

Ozpin let out a sad, pain filled laugh. {_And what makes you so certain we won't fail again?_}

[_Because we _can't_, if we fail again then that's it, everything we've all fought and suffered for, all the people we've lost… they'll all be for nothing. So we're not allowed to fail. _Not again_._]

Oscar was right, Ozpin knew that. They had to win, for all the people they'd lost and for all the people they still had to keep safe.

"So, with that out of the way, you wanna clue me in on whatever you and the kid are discussing?"

"Well, he was just giving me a pep talk that's all. But, he does have a story of his own to tell you. It's long, and going to sound insane… but it's true. Every word of it."

Qrow just raised an eyebrow "more insane than any of the other things you've told me? I doubt I have the capacity to actually _be_ shocked by anything anymore Oz."

Ozpin smiled at the blaze comment, "we'll see." And with that, their eyes glowed bright yellow and Oscar was once again in control, while Ozpin sunk back into the depths of his mind to think on his talk with both Oscar and Qrow.

\--

"Alright kid, what's your story?" Qrow asked, retrieving his drink and taking a swig.

"Well, to put it simply. I'm from two years into the future, Salem won. But, the God of Light and I made another deal. I'm here to make sure she doesn't win again."

Qrow just stared at him for a moment, completely silent. His eyes slowly drifting between him and the almost empty glass in his hand. "What do you know, all these years and your still finding new ways to surprise me Oz."

"He told you so"

"Yeah, that he did. Heh, I think I might need another drink."


	8. Trust

trust

/trʌst/

_noun_

1\. firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.

"relations have to be built on trust"

* * *

The afternoon passed by in what felt like a flash as Oscar told Qrow his story, though the quickly setting sun and near empty bottle of whisky stated otherwise.

Qrow has sat silently throughout most of his retelling of the events leading to him becoming displaced in time, only speaking up to clarify a few points or to occasionally ask for Additional details.

Now though, Qrow's silence sat heavily as he contemplated everything he had been told… all the information Ozpin had never told him, the fates of the kids under his protection, his sister and the rest of Remnant…

It was a lot to take in, and he seemed to be taking it rather well- definitely better than he had the last time he'd been informed of much of this information, Oscar rubbed at his cheek at the memory.

_The one and only time Qrow had made him feel anything less than safe…_

"That was _a lot_, and I'm still trying to process most of it, but I guess the gist of it is that your timeline was basically fucked and you coming back here is a hard reset?"

"Essentially, yes."

Qrow tipped what was left in the bottle into his glass before picking it up and swirling it. "So, what's the plan? I assume you have one."

Folding his hands and sitting back in his chair, Oscar met Qrow's eyes and nodded. "There is no great plan, I've given up on trying to make the pieces all fall into place perfectly, right now I'm just taking things one catastrophic event at a time."

"I have to make sure the battle at Haven doesn't happen, that is my primary goal at the moment. Cinder and Raven can not enter the Vault of Spring, the Relic of Knowledge can not be released! It caused so much pain and anguish last time it was unleashed… I can't allow that to happen again."

"I have hired someone to look into Raven and the tribe, they will let me know when Salem sends her people to meet with your sister and we will be able to plan our defense accordingly. Aside from that, our main focus should be getting the children into fighting shape while keeping off of Leonardo's radar as best as possible."

"Makes sense. What can I do to help?"

At this question Oscar looked away, "There is only one way for you to help me at this time…"

"What is it?"

"I need you to trust me. Trust me more than you _ever_ have before… because what I'm going to ask of you is going to seem cruel and terrible after everything I just told you."

Qrow put his glass down, his expression serious. "I trust Oz with my life, he's asked me to do a lot of terrible things while working for him and they have always been for the greater good. Whatever it is, I'll do it."

"I need you to forget, Qrow. I need you to let me temporarily replace your memories of almost everything Ozpin ever told you."

"The children are not ready to know the truth, it's too much too soon… and I don't want you to have to lie to them, and my story will be more convincing if they are certing you believe it too"

"_Oz_…" Qrow spoke, his voice soft as his voice filled with pain.

Oscar placed his hands over Qrow's, his own eyes pleading, "_Please_ Qrow. I trust you more than I do any other person on all of Remnant and I'm asking you to have faith in me and a plan I can not fully explain to you one more time and forget."


	9. Similarity

similarity

/sɪməˈlarəti/

noun

the state or fact of being similar.

"the similarity of symptoms makes them hard to diagnose"

* * *

Walking up to the large house for the first time again was somehow more nerve wracking than it had been the first time Oscar had come here.

Though as with most things, there are similarities- dragging Qrow's drunk ass back being one of them.

Swallowing his nerves and pushing down his exasperation, Oscar took a deep breath and knocked. Sealing his fate.

Just like the first time Jaune answered it, "can I help you?" He asked, his tone slightly more wary this time. The effects of him not being dressed as a farm hand, rather resembling a Huntsman and actual potential threat.

"I'm here to see Ruby Rose." And with those words, just as he predicted the group inside shifted into more offensive Stances…

"Why?" Nora demanded.

Right on cue, Qrow came barreling in, happily proclaiming success in all of his drunken glory and immediately defusing the situation.

"I think her uncle could use some help." He continued, swatting Qrow's hand from his face as the older man tried to poke his nose.

Qrow then began to stumble inside, continuing to shout, before stumbling and collapsing onto a couch.

"What is going on out here!? Can't a girl read her comics in peace?" And all of a sudden, Oscar was frozen. That voice… _her_ voice…

Oscar had thought he would never hear again, even coming back and knowing she was here and alive. It was still jarring to hear it again, her loss still so fresh in his heart.

As he stood there in shock, Ruby was conversing with Qrow about his drunken state, far to distracted by her uncle to notice him starting.

{_Oscar… I understand this must be hard, but you can't get emotional right now, you must remain calm and in control or this could all fall apart._} Ozpin spoke, quickly drawing Oscar himself back to the present.

[_Right. Sorry… I'm fine. I can do this_] he replied silently before stepping towards Ruby, "you… have silver eyes, I never noticed that before…" he said out loud, mumbling the last part- he had a story to set the groundwork for, after all.

This drew Ruby's attention straight to him. "Uh, who are you?" She asked, looking to the group.

"My name is Oscar Pine. You don't know me, but you did know my uncle-" he stopped, cutting himself off mid sentence, "Qrow… are you certain its okay for me to tell them who I am? He told me _not_ to tell _anyone_, that it was too dangerous…"

Qrow simply waved his hand, "tell em, their good. Wouldn't -_hic_\- wouldn't have brought Them here if we couldn't trust them hehe" he slurred out.

playing with his hair and looking away, Oscar made a show of seeming nervous before continuing, "Alright… Your all former students of Beacon Academy, right?" When they nodded he continued, "Well, I am Professor Ozpin's Nephew and only living heir. I'm here because it's my duty to continue his work as the next protector of life in the war against Salem."

"Uncle Oz told me two years ago, that if _anything_ ever happened to him, I would have a choice. I _would_ inherit his powers and responsibilities, but I still had the choice to take them up and continue the fight our family has been fighting for generations."

"He said that if I chose to do so, that I was to find his closest friend and trusted allie, Qrow Branwen. That he would be able to help guide me as I came into my new powers and responsibilities, so… here I am."

The room was silent as he finished his tale, everyone obviously taking in what he had said, only for the quiet to be disrupted my Qrow shouting.

"I found him!"

* * *

Hey, just a short note.

Firstly, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one, I knew from the beginning that it would be difficult, a lot of moving parts to work around. But I think it's okay- could definitely be better, but it's still something.

And I'm sorry it took so long to get up, I've been having some problems with my mental health and not really been in the right head space to write, so updates may be a little slower for a bit while I pull. Myself together.

Anyway, rant over, hope y'all enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!


	10. Power

power

/_ˈpaʊə_/

_noun_

1\. the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.

_"the power ofspeech"_

2\. the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events.

_"a political process that offers people power over their own lives"_

* * *

Silence permeated the air as the four teenagers started at Oscar and Qrow, the later of the two who Ruby had forced to fix his drunken state so that they could actually talk to him.

"So, you all have questions I assume?" Qrow began, directing his question to the group.

the four shared an awkward look between themselves before nodding, "yeah, I guess you could say that" Jaune said.

"Well, I'm not sure if I'll be able to answer all of your questions, but I'll do my best." Oscar replied, offering the group a hopefully reassuring smile.

Oscar wasn't entirely sure what to expect from them, probably questions about his relationship with Ozpin and what he meant when he referred to himself as 'The next protector of life' but aside from that, he didn't know what they'd ask.

He hoped he would be able to come up with plausible explanations regardless.

"I'm curious about what you meant when you said you'd never notice my eyes before… it's a strange thing to say to someone you've never met." Ruby asked, her tone curious with a tinge of paranoia.

[_Good, she picked up it._] He said to Oz, before offering Ruby a shy smile. "My Semblance is called 'Forewarned Flash' it let's me see segments and fragments of events before or sometimes even _as_ they are happening… I've seen you in a few of them, I didn't know who you were until I got here and saw you- that's why I was so shocked."

"I've been having visions of you for months now, but not understood why… usually I have to know a person to see them clearly in one of my visions… but your different for some reason."

"What kind of visions?"

Oscar was prepared for this, he'd sifted through some of Ozpin's memories of Ruby at Beacon and picked out a few he could claim as visions. "I saw you fighting a giant Nevermore in an abandoned temple… I saw you again with a group of girls, you were fighting some guy in a mech."

It was time to truly hit home, to say something that Ozpin could never have told him about, a 'vision' that couldn't be passed over as something he was told by someone else, with a deep breath and a pained look he continued, "The most recent one though, was the night of the Fall of Beacon… you were running up a tower wall, there was a fight going on at the top you seemed so afraid."

"I didn't see how it ended though, I lost the vision part way through when the powers I inherited from Uncle Ozpin suddenly hit me and I fainted."

The quiet returned with his retelling of the moment leading up to the death of Pyrrha Nikos.

"I want to know about this 'power' you got from Professor Ozpin, that's the second time you've mentioned it. What is it exactly?" Jaune asked.

"Ah, that. Well… it's hard to explain, I don't exactly know the whole story- hell I don't think Oz knew the whole story…. You see, our family was cursed _a_ _very long time ago._ When one of us dies, the curse is transferred." He spoke, this part of the story was simple; his only lie was of the transfer of power from one person to the next.

Ruby moved to place her hand over his, "take your time, and tell your story as best you can, this must be just as hard and confusing for you as it is for the rest of us"

Nodding, Oscar took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again and beginning his tale. "The way the story goes is that once upon a time there was a man named Ozma, he was a brave and powerful knight that wielded great powers. And he fell in love with a fair princess, whom he saved from a tower."

"They were extremely happy and lived a wonderful life together, until Ozma grew ill… he passed away, leaving the princess- Salem- all alone…"

"After his death, she could not let go of her grief and she demanded and attempted to trick the gods into bringing him back. When that failed and they had found out what she had tried to do, they cursed her with immortality. She could not die, so she would never be reunited with her beloved… not until she learned some great and important lesson."

At this point, Oscar had to stop, the emotions that he felt for Salem when he was still Ozma began to flood him as he recalled the cruel justice done to her.

Thankfully, Ozpin was there to help lessen their pain. {_A burden shared is a burden made easier to carry_} he said, metaphorically placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

[_Thank you…_] with that, he continued. "After that, Salem used her new immortality to bring together humanity and rally them against the gods, believing that if she couldn't make them bend to her will, then she would destroy everything they had created."

"And in a way, she did. As punishment for her actions and the disrespect the humans had shown their creators, they destroyed everything and wiped out all of humanity, leaving Salem as the only living being on Remnant."

"But, for whatever reason, the God of Light ended up bringing Ozma back, giving him new life and giving him and his descendants a job. To unite humanity and bring unity to the world."

"What happened after that changes constantly, some say that Ozma agreed, only to rejet the gods wishes and reunite with Salem to become gods themselves, others say that he tried to help her regain the humanity she lost to time and her solitude..."

stopping once again, Oscar looked each member of Team RNJR in the eye, "but, there is one thing that all the stories passed down through our family say: that if we wish to end our curse and be released from this nearly impossible task, Salem _must_ be stopped. So long as she exists, bringing madness and chaos and _death_… We will continue towards humanity's eventual second destruction"


	11. Restless

restless

/ˈrɛs(t)ləs/

_adjective_

unable to rest or relax as a result of anxiety or boredom.

* * *

After his story and everyone's questions were answered, Oscar was exhausted, he'd been shown to his new room not long after they'd finished their talk.

And now he lay in bed, eyes staring off into the empty blackness, he was bone tired and emotionally exhausted… from his conversation with Qrow to story time with RNJR and all of the emotions he was feeling from seeing his friends _alive again_ after watching them all _die_…

Oscar just wanted to _rest_.

But, as it had done most nights for longer than he cared to remember, sleep continued to elude him.

{_Would you like me to take over for the night? We didn't get much sleep last night, and tomorrow Is going to be a long day…_}

"Could you just make everything quiet… all the things I see when I close my eyes… can you make them all just stop and go away for a little while?" Oscar asked, sounding for the first time like the child he was, the child he lost all right to be when he inherited Ozma's curse.

A warmth quickly began to incase Oscar, as if he was being wrapped in a comforting embrace {_I will do my best to keep your demons at bay for a few hours so that you may rest._}

Smiling softly, Oscar closed his eyes offering up a small 'Thank you' to his partner before he began to drift off into peaceful slumber.

Although, like all peace Oscar had experienced in the last few years, it was short lived.

He awoke with a silent scream, breathing heavily as he shot up and reached out for the bloody figure from his dream before fully coming to and realizing where he was.

Oscar was in his bed in Mistral, not on a bloodied battlefield watching his friends die. He was _safe_.

{_I'm sorry, Oscar. I thought I could protect you from your nightmares…_} Ozpin said, guilt ebbing into his tone

Brushing off Ozpin's concern, Oscar sat up shakily, scrunching his eyes closed and pushing away the memories. "It's fine, I'm used to it at this point."

{_But you shouldn't have to be._}

"I know."

Eventually, the shaking subsided and his breathing returned to normal, Oscar reopened his eyes and looked around the still mostly dark room, from the window he could just see the first signs of light appearing over the horizon.

"No point trying to go back to sleep now," he said as he rolled out of bed and headed over to his belongings.

{_I suppose not. Did you want to go and do some training before the others wake? It will still take time for your body to catch up with our muscle memory and regain the strength from your future._}

Agreeing, Oscar quickly dressed and grabbed his cane before heading out of his bedroom and down to the dojo below.

Only when he arrived, he found that he wasn't alone, already using the space was Jaune- his attention firmly on a video playing from his scroll as he went over a set of sword strikes.

Watch him continue to go through another few sets, Oscar considered leaving and coming back later, when Jaune turned to him "you know, it's rude to stand and stare without letting people know your there… you could scare someone"

"Sorry…" he replied awkwardly, he hadn't expected to be noticed.

Jaune just laughed and shook his head, "you have trouble sleeping too?"

Oscar just nodded and came down from the step he'd been perched on into the room proper, "you could say that…" he replied.

Jaune took a long look at him, taking in his fully dressed state and weapon in hand, his expression turned dark for a fraction of a second before he shook is away and smiled at him "Well, I wouldn't mind a sparring partner, _if_ your interested?"

"I'd like that."

* * *

hey guys, sorry for the short chapter and the longer wait... I'm still not doing to great mentally. But I'm definitely doing better than I was the other week.

thanks for all your kinds words!! And hopefully you enjoyed this chapter.


	12. Burden

burden

/_ˈbəːd(ə)n_/

_noun_

1\. a load, typically a heavy one.

2\. The main theme or gist of a speech, book, or argument.

3\. a duty or misfortune that causes worry, hardship, or distress.

4\. the main responsibility for achieving a specified aim or task.

* * *

Sunrise came and went as Oscar spared with Jaune, he still seemed to have the skills he'd developed over time, but he lacked his reaction time and muscle memory, he was slower too, taking far too many of Jaune's hits then he should have.

Thankfully, he still had his Aura and magic to fall back on, those didn't seem to have suffered the same side effects he had been experiencing since his return.

Eventually Ren came down to join them, sitting off to the side and observing their fight and not saying much, just offering small pointers to both of them as they fought, until they decided to take a break, "I'm going to make breakfast, why don't you two go get cleaned up while I cook"

"Sure, sounds good." Jaune replied as he put away his weapon. "Come on Oscar, Ren makes the best pancakes! You're gonna love them."

An old ache began to build up in his heart as he was reminded of the last time he'd had Ren's cooking, of the last time he'd been with Team JN_R before everything began to fall apart.

"Yeah, sure thing. I'll join you guys soon, I just need a few minutes." he replied, probably a bit to quickly before rushing upstairs and back to his room, only just getting the door closed before he collapsed to the ground, tears beginning to form at the corners of his eyes.

{_Oscar… are you alright?_} Ozpin's calm tone questions, confused by his sudden turn in emotion.

"I'll be fine… I just need a moment to catch my breath and get myself back under control." He said wiping at his eyes and clenching his fists. "I'm fine! I can do this!" This time, the words were directed towards himself and not his soulmate.

Warmth enveloped him as Ozpin gave him the mental version of a hug, {_tell me what happened, Oscar. Why did you suddenly get emotional over the idea of breakfast?_}

Trembling, Oscar shook his head. "It's just… it's been so long since- since I lost them, I guess the idea of being together again, of sharing a meal and being happy was too much."

"But it's fine, I'm _fine_!" He reiterated, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than the other.

{_You know, it's alright to not always be okay, Oscar…_}

"Not for me it _not_! I can't get emotional like this! I have to be stronger than this! The entire world is at stake if I can't hold it together. I have a duty, I've lost and suffered too much to screw things up again… I have to be fine… I _have_ to be!"

Ozpin fell quiet once again, offering Oscar a moment of blissful silence has both gathered their own thoughts and steadied their emotions.

After he was able to calm the aching in his heart, Oscar picked himself up off the floor and went to check his reflection in the mirror, making sure his face wasn't red or puffy.

Once he was sure he was presentable, Oscar headed back towards the door, he rested his hand atop the doorknob as he took another final breath to ready himself.

{_Before you go… I just want you to know that regardless of what you think, you do not have to be strong all the time. And you don't have to go through this all alone, you can rely on me to help carry your burdens… that's what being partners is about, Oscar. Sharing the weight of responsibility so that it might not be so heavy_}

Letting out the breath he'd held as Ozpin spoke, Oscar gave a sad sort of smile, "thanks, Oz… but I'm not sure if this is a burden I _want_ lightened."

With that, he opened to door and headed back towards the small broken family he was determined to protect at all costs.


	13. Loyalty

loyalty

/ˈlɔɪəlti/

noun

noun:loyalty

the quality of being loyal.

"his extremeloyalty tothe Crown"

a strong feeling of support or allegiance.

plural noun:loyalties

* * *

Breakfast came and went, Oscar keeping relatively quiet throughout the meal while the others laughed and joked, he was happy to simply sit and listen.

Now they were sitting in the living room, going over training regimens to improve their skills and adapt their fighting styles to work together more cohesively.

Qrow had offered to spar with each of them, helping to find what areas they would all need to improve on the most, which Jaune, Ren and Oscar himself happily accepted.

Nora also agreed, though not without making a snarky comment about feeling bad beating up an old man, Qrow just laughed at her remake and promised not to go easy on her.

Ruby stated that she was already aware of her shortcomings in combat and proposed that Qrow simply begin training her in hand-to-hand combat, considering that was her greatest weakness and the thing likely to get her killed should she ever lose her hold on Crescent Rose.

Qrow agreed, stating that he'd already been aware of this shortcoming in her skills- odd as it was considering the fighting styles the rest of her family used.

"Alright, I still need to speak with Leo again about putting together a team to help dream with my sister and the tribe, along with putting together a list of people I know that could help us if Leo still refuses… but once I get back, we can jump right into sparing."

"I suggest you kids spend the day training together, seeing if you can spot any of your own shortcomings before I get to beat them out of ya" Qrow told the group as he stood to leave.

at the mention of Leonardo Oscar finally decided to speak up, "on the subject of Professor Lionheart, I think we should keep my presence here just between us for now, you mentioned that he was acting strangely and going against Uncle Ozpin's direct orders… if that's the case I would prefer we simply play things close to the chest. Just until we have more information."

Qrow nodded, "yeah, probably for the best. You don't know who you want to trust yet, makes sense that we keep your identity on a need to know basis for now."

"I don't understand? Isn't Professor Lionheart one of the people Professor Ozpin trusted?" Ruby asked, uncertainty in her tone.

Oscar sighed, "he's meant to be, but like I said: from what Qrow told me, he's acting off. Going against the plan put in place for when Uncle Oz died… and after everything that's happened, I'm not sure who I can truly trust."

"Sounds lonely… not being able to trust anyone" Ruby responded; her expression turning sad.

Oscar glanced away and down at his hands clutching the fabric of his coat tightly into fists, "It is… but it's the life I chose. I have a duty to this world and its people, and it's just easier to keep most people at arm's length."

And it was his choice. He had made the decision to lie and keep secrets from the people he cared for, he'd chosen to take away the memories of the person he trusted most.

Keeping everyone he loved at a distance was what was the safest thing for them... And for him.

"I trust Qrow, I know that. And I have a feeling that I will be able to trust you, Ruby. But for now, I'm not entirely sure who else I'm ready to put my faith in."

As he spoke, Jaune stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know we don't really know each other yet, but you've shared a lot with us already, things you didn't need to share, I hope you will come to trust all of us in your own time. Because we want to help you with this fight."

"Take your time to figure things out, Oscar. But know that your not in this alone. We're here to help in any way we can." Ren and Nora nodded in agreement at their leaders words.

Jaune hadn't needed to say anything, Oscar knew how loyal these four would be to him. like Qrow, he trusted all of them with his life…

"Thank you."

* * *

Hey guy. I'm really sorry about the hiatus...the last month and a bit have been pretty stressful for me and I've just not been in the right frame of mind to get any writing done.

But, I think I'm back. New 2-3 chapters are gonna be training and a wee bit more exposition.but we are close to some big plot stuff. (Yang Weiss should be making their way into the story shortly)

Anyway! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!~


	14. Disapproval

disapproval

/dɪsəˈpruːvl/

noun

noun:disapproval

possession or expression of an unfavorable opinion.

"Jill replied with a hint of disapproval in her voice"

* * *

In the courtyard behind the house, Oscar watched Team RNJR's sparring session with vague interest as he allowed himself to get lost in thought.

They only had a few days before Raven would send Yang and Weiss to Qrow, before that happened, he needed to build a stronger rapport with Jaune and more importantly- Ruby. he _needed_ them to be on his side when Yang arrived, bringing discord and doubt to the group.

Jaune would be easy, the older boy was up most nights training rather than sleeping like the rest of his team, Oscar was sure he could take advantage of this occurrence to begin building a friendship with him- and considering his own sleepless nights it would give himself something else to focus on rather than the nightmarish memories that haunted his nights.

But Ruby… she would be a tougher nut to crack, not just because the likelihood of her turning on her sister was slim, but Oscar wasn't sure his heart could take being so close to her, to have her look at him like a stranger, while he couldn't help but look at her as if she was his entire world…

Ruby's heart may have belonged to another, but still he had still given his own to her.

Getting close to her again, _loving_ her again while watching as she fell deeper and deeper in love with another… Oscar was certain that it would _break_ him.

But, the mission needed to come first. Even if it hurt, even if it broke his heart and slowly killed him… The mission _had_ to come first! He would find a way to get close to Ruby.

So long as she got to be safe and happy at the end… his own emotions be damned.

He would just have to find a way to be okay with everything he was doing. _He didn't have any other choice but to be._

Oscar was eventually pulled back to the sparring session happening in front of him when he heard Nora's loud whooping cheer as she knocked Jaune down, destracing Ruby from her own fight with Ren- to which he took the opening and knocked her feet out from under her, causing her to fall into the dirt alongside Jaune.

"Don't get distracted. Any opening could be the difference between life and death." Ren spoke calmly, stifling a laugh of his own as he offered his hand to help Ruby back up off the ground.

"He's right. You get caught out like that in a real fight and you'll end up with more than just a face full of dirt." Oscar jumped at the voice coming from behind him as the rest of the group turned to see that Qrow had returned.

It had been a long time since anyone had been able to sneak up on him like that, figuring he must have been more lost in thought then he'd originally perceived.

Ruby let out an exasperated sigh as she dusted herself off, "Believe me, I know…" Her expression darkening for a split second before she shook her head and her smile returned, "let's go again, you won't catch me off guard again!" Nodding, Ren got back into a fighting stance before Ruby threw her first punch.

Rather than returning to their own training, Jaune and Nora stepped back and watched the other two, Oscar's attention on the other hand went to studding Qrow.

The other Huntsman was more pale than usual, and there was a slight shake to his hands… coupled with the fact that Qrow had left his flask in the kitchen the night prior and it was still in the same position not to long ago when Oscar had gone to get himself something to eat. '_It worked_'

{_What worked_?} Ozpin questioned suddenly, no small amount of suspicion in his tone.

The old wizard had been silent since their talk that morning, Oscar hadn't expected him to come back out until after they'd retired for the night. [_Nothing much, just a little something else I worked in when altering Qrow's memories_.] he replied, thinking back to the troubles that Qrow's drinking problem would cause, easier to deal with it now then wait for it to escalate later.

Immediately, Oscar could feel Ozpin's disapproval seeping into his mind, {_Oscar, that is a massive abuse of our powers, regardless of how you feel, playing with Qrow's head like that is a great violation of his trust_.}

[_Maybe so… doesn't matter though, what's done is done and everyone will be better off for it._] Oscar said simply, his gaze drifting away from the subject of their talk and off into the distance.

Ozpin sighed, {_That's not the point, Oscar. You can't just play god like that! Everyone has a right to their own vices, to make their own choices in life. We don't get to make these decisions for them._}

{_We're not Gods… Do not act as if we are above everyone else. I have stayed back and allowed you to enact your plans for now, but I will intervene if I feel that you are abusing our power and heading down a dark path_.} Ozpin stated, fear and anger lacing his words.

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Oscar searched for the right words to convince his partner that he was doing the right thing, but the words didn't come… he struggled to come up with a way to properly justify actions… [_I'm trying to do what I think is best, I'm doing what I must, to protect the people I love. If I have to walk into the darkness to do that, then so be it.]_

{_I hope it won't come to that..._}

[_Me too_]


	15. Weakness

weakness

/ˈwiːknəs/

_noun_

1\. the state or condition of being weak.

"the country's weakness in international dealings"

2\. A disadvantage or fault.

"you must recognize your product's strengths and weaknesses"

* * *

Oscar almost regretted agreeing to join the others in their sparring session with Qrow, bruised and beaten, he sat back and watched as Qrow continued to push Jaune and Nora back with relative ease.

Ren had been knocked out of the fight not long after Oscar himself, Qrow-master huntsmen that he was-could spot and prod at a weak point easily, quickly taking advantage of Ren's low stamina and Oscar's own lacking strength and coordination in his smaller body again.

Jaune's one saving grace throughout the fight was his aura reserves, able to keep getting back up every time Qrow knocked him down.

On the other hand, Nora seemed to be doing an excellent job of holding her own in the fight, landing a fair number of hits to the more experienced Huntsmen and avoiding many of the ones aimed at her.

This didn't seem to come as a surprise to anyone, Nora's confidence wasn't just for show. She was easily the most skilled member of the group, with her excellent control over both her weapon, aura and semblance, she was a formidable opponent.

Qrow eventually disarmed Jaune, forcing him to yield… leaving Just Nora for him to take out before giving them his opinion on their combat skills and what they would need to improve upon before he deemed them ready to take on Salem's forces.

Though, rather than continue the fight, Qrow called it quits once Jaune has collected his weapon and moved to the side.

"No point continuing, would just be a waste of energy to keep going. I'm impressed." Nora only smirked and raised an eyebrow at the complement before putting away her weapon and taking a seat on the ground with the rest of the group.

"You've all got some impressive skills, far more than most kids with only a year of formal huntsmen training under your belts… but, you all definitely have areas that need to be improved on."

At Qrow's words, the group turned their full attention to him, not willing to miss anything the vetren Huntsmen had to say.

Rather then putting his weapon away, Qrow quickly pointed the sword towards Ren. "You are a skilled fighter, you adapt well and have excellent awareness of your surroundings, but you lack stamina, in a lengthy battle you will end up putting not only yourself- but the rest of your team into danger. We're gonna work on improving that" Ren gave a solemn nod in agreement and Qrow moved on.

"Jaune. Your an absolute powerhouse, your Aura is impressive to say the least, and from what I've seen, your combat is steadily improving from what it was at Beacon… but, you still have a long way to go, you're still creating far to many openings that your opponent can and _will_ exploit." Jaune looked away, guilt and shame finding their way into his features.

Lowering his sword, Qrow took pity on him, "your also a brilliant strategist. That is an impressive and invaluable skill to have in this profession. You'll be able to work on improving your combat during the sparring sessions we're going to be having every day." with that said, he moved on.

"Now. Nora, I really don't have anything specific you need to improve on. Your combat skills are impressive. All I can really offer is to continue sparring with you, so that you can get more practice fighting a stronger opponent that'll actually hold a challenge for you."

Nora preined under the praise Qrow offered her "looking forward to kicking your butt Professor!"

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Don't let that go to your head, you may be skilled… But in battle, there will _always_ be someone stronger than you waiting just around the corner, and an overly inflated ego can get you killed just as quickly as any other weakness."

Her expression turning serious, Nora nodded.

And suddenly, Oscar had Qrow's weapon in his own face, his attention focused on him. "Oscar. From the way you fight it's obvious that you are well trained, what you seem to lack is the coordination and reaction timing that comes from fighting real people. And the strength gained through intense training. So, we're gonna work on getting you up to scratch and onto the same leave as the rest of these guys as quickly as possible."

Oscar nodded, Qrow was half right, but he didn't need to share that bit of information, the intense training Qrow was bound to put him through would allow him to regain his abilities much faster and with the fight he knew was coming, Oscar needed that to happen as quickly as possible.

"Uncle Oz told me that my magic would come with something similar to muscle memory, that as I trained it and myself, everything would come to me pretty quickly- one of the perks of magically inherited abilities! So I'll take all the training you guys can give me."

Oscar had found that lies that were based in truth were the easiest to tell, it wasn't entirely wrong that he would quickly regain not only his own, but Ozpin's muscle memory the more he trained… so spinning the effects of his magic this way was an easy and convenient cover for the rapid growth his powers would go through.

"We'll be sure to not go easy on you then!" Ruby said, chearily offering her own input to the conversation.

Qrow shook his head before turning his attention from Oscar to Ruby herself. "Your not getting out of this without a review either, kid. Your talented and an incredibly competent fighter, but like you said before- once you lose your grip on Crescent Rose you're screwed. So, you are going to focus on hand-to-hand until you can stand on your own in a match _without_ relying on your weapon."

Muttering under her breath about how she already knew all that, Ruby crossed her arms and pouted. Not expecting Qrow to start lecturing her along with the rest of the group, to which they all had a good laugh.

When the laughter died down, Ren raised his hand as if they were in a classroom, Qrow just rolled his eyes, "what's up, Pinky?"

"I was just wondering what you would consider _your_ greatest weakness to be?" Ren asked, not commenting on the nickname given.

The question drew everyone's attention back to Qrow as he finally put his weapon away, "well, aside from my obvious drinking problem and Semblance?" He replied, his tone almost joking, before continuing on a more serious note. "I don't know kid, there are a lot of things I could call weaknesses… but. I've learned to use them and make them work in my favor…"

"Not all weaknesses are bad things… sometimes they can be the things that save your life and protect you. it just comes down to how you look at them." With that said, Qrow bid the group good night.

Oscar continued to think on Qrow's words long after he and the rest of the group had gone inside.

He was right, and had given Oscar an idea for how to deal with _his_ greatest weakness.


End file.
